


Another Man's Treasure

by AnExhaustedArmadillo



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Bargaining, Dialogue Heavy, Fairy Tale Retellings, Insecure Alec Lightwood, M/M, Magic, Oaths & Vows, Protective Magnus Bane, Tension, Warlock Magnus Bane
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2019-07-19
Packaged: 2019-09-15 00:40:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16923342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnExhaustedArmadillo/pseuds/AnExhaustedArmadillo
Summary: ""And what happens when you fail?""I don't know. Nothing good," Alec was reminded of why he'd been panicking a few minutes ago."I could do it," The man told him, hands grazing over the spinning wheel."How?" Alec asked in disbelief."With magic, obviously," A flash of blue flickered between the man's fingers."A Rumpelstiltskin retelling of Malec, with a couple of twists.





	1. Chapter 1

There was no one as proud of anything as Robert and Maryse Lightwood were of their children. Robert and Maryse were notorious for boasting publicly about the deeds of their children. It happened to such an extent that the town tended to ignore them more often than not. 

"Our youngest shows great promise. I have no doubt that one day he may be the finest swordsman in all the realm!" Robert bragged. He stood in the middle of the tavern, to make sure that everyone would be able to hear and see him. Most of the patrons didn't even turn their heads. Maryse stood to join her husband.

"Our daughter is so beautiful even princes have asked for her hand. She will marry into a fine family and bring us great pride," Maryse promised the room. Robert was laughing now, loudly, like a donkey. 

"Our eldest son is talented beyond compare," Maryse continued, "He is incredibly strong and skilled with a bow. Why, he could hit the center of any target, no matter how far!"

"Max is the smartest child to be taught in a thousand years," Robert assured them.

"Isabelle is very clever, she could fool the sphinx itself," Maryse said. 

"Alec could spin straw into gold if he wanted to!" Robert said, and he and Maryse shared a laugh, the only two in the tavern to be enjoying the conversation. 

"Could he really?" A voice chimed from the corner of the tavern. The owner of the voice pushed back her hood, and everyone recognized her instantly. It was Lydia Branwell, one of the Duke's chief advisers. The Duke was notorious for sending delegates into towns to spy on the villagers and gauge the general will of the people. While the representatives typically did a good job of remaining hidden, they were easily recognized once they revealed themselves. Everyone knew who the Duke's servants were, and it was obvious that Robert and Maryse knew, too. Robert's jaw had dropped and Maryse's face was white as a ghost.

"Well?" Lydia continued, "Are your children really as talented as you proclaim?" Robert nodded hastily, everyone watching him intently.

"Oh, most definitely," He said quickly, "They are by far some of the best citizens of the realm and we hope they will bring great pride to the Duke, ma'am." Robert averted his gaze.

"Then your eldest son could truly spin straw into gold?" Lydia pressed. The tavern was absolutely silent. Robert swallowed, unsure of how to answer. If he said no, he'd be punished for lying. If he said yes, surely Alec would be punished when he failed. Maryse answered before Robert could decide.

"Of course," She said, "All of our children have immeasurable talent." Her face was tight as she sealed her son's fate. 

"Well," said Lydia, smiling, "If he can really turn straw into gold, the Duke would be delighted to meet him. Your son will bring great pride to you indeed." Lydia motioned for the Lightwoods to lead her to their unfortunate son. 

***

"You have until dawn to spin all the straw into gold. I'll come back then to check on your progress. Keep in mind, should you fail, or refuse, your parents are at risk of execution for lying to royal authorities. The wheel is right there, we have plenty of straw, do your best to turn all of it to gold. I'll see you in the morning," Lydia finished, shutting the door as she left. 

Alec blinked numbly. Just a few hours ago he'd been at home, eating dinner with his siblings. Now he was in one of the Duke's various Imperial Palaces. They'd placed him in a large wooden room, filled almost to the ceiling with straw. There was a spinning wheel in the center of the room. At least, Alec assumed it was a spinning wheel. He'd never actually touched one before, and now he was expected to do the impossible. His parents, his father in particular, had a penchant for exaggeration. They'd never thought anyone would take them seriously, much less hold them accountable for it. Everything had simply spiraled out of control, and now Alec had to spin straw into _gold_ or his parents could be killed. 

Alec didn't even know where to start. He supposed he should at least try spinning the straw, for his parents. Oh God, his parents. Alec didn't know what to do. Even if it was possible to spin straw into gold, Alec didn't even know how to use a spinning wheel. Suddenly, the room started feeling smaller. The straw was towering over him. It must have been suffocating him, because Alec couldn't breathe anymore and the room was spinning. He felt himself sit down and he put his head in his hands. His parents were going to get hurt, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Would the Imperials even let him go back to his siblings? Perhaps escape was his best option, but he didn't see any way out of the room.

"My, my, my, what's going on here?" 

Alec shot up, stumbling backwards at the intrusion. There was a man standing next to the spinning wheel who had definitely not been there a second ago. He was tall, though he was still shorter than Alec, with dark hair and piercing eyes. There were various rings on his fingers and he was dressed elaborately in black.

"Wh- Who are you?" Alec asked, on guard and anxious. 

"Not important," Replied the man, "What _is_ important is who you are, and what you're doing here." The man asked, though it felt like a command.

"I'm Alec," He swallowed, "I'm supposed to turn all this straw into gold." Much to Alec's shock, the man laughed.

"And how are you expected to do that?" There was a glint in the man's eye. 

"My parents foolishly told the Imperial Regime that I could do this, when I can't," Alec quickly backtracked, "They just exaggerate a lot and happened to do it at the wrong time. It's not their fault." The man hummed in response. 

"And what happens when you fail?"

"I don't know. Nothing good," Alec was reminded of why he'd been panicking a few minutes ago. 

"I could do it," The man told him, hands grazing over the spinning wheel. 

"How?" Alec asked in disbelief. 

"With magic, obviously," A flash of blue flickered between the man's fingers. Alec supposed it made sense, how else could he have entered the locked room? So the man had magic. Alec had been warned about magic users. He knew they never did anything without expecting recompense. 

"Why would you do that?"

"Because I'm a nice person," The man smiled. Alec stared at him, hard. "Oh, alright. Well, what do you have to give me?"

"I-I don't have anything," Alec was at a loss. What could he possibly have that a warlock would want?

"Really? You don't have anything I could want? No family heirlooms? No items of immeasurable worth? No favors you could do for me?" The man asked, his eyes looked like they could see through Alec's very soul. Alec thought for a moment, brow furrowing.

"I suppose... I have this necklace. It belonged to my great grandfather. It's real silver," Alec assured him slowly, removing the necklace from his neck to show the warlock. He took the necklace in his hand, seemingly inspecting the quality of silver, before rolling his eyes and pocketing it. 

"It'll do, I suppose," The man acquiesced, before taking a seat at the spinning wheel and beginning to spin the straw into gold.

Alec watched in fascination as the straw turned to gold right before his eyes. The gold was the same shape as spun wool would be, long and thin, but shiny, and warm off the wheel. He took some of it in his hands, in utter disbelief that something like this was possible. The warlock looked at him and chuckled.

"Is this your first time seeing magic?"

"This is my first time seeing gold," Alec said, looking up to make eye contact with the man, who prompted him silently with a question in his eyes. "My family is well off. We have some inheritance from a few generations ago, and we've got enough for my mom to stay in the social circles she wants to be in, but it's all paper money or other assets. The nicest thing I've actually got was the necklace I gave you, which is just silver. But this is also my first time seeing magic, yes." Alec finished quickly, starting to regret sharing that much with a warlock. 

"Magic is becoming much less common these days. All those ghastly trials and accusations. Much too dangerous to be public than it used to be," The warlock said factually.

"Doesn't seem to have stopped you," Alec said, before he could stop himself. To his relief, the man smiled playfully.

"We're not in public, are we?"

"No, I suppose we're not," Alec agreed.

"Jobs like this are the only ones I can get these days," The warlock lamented. 

"What are 'jobs like this'?" Alec asked.

"Jobs hidden away in rooms full of straw, helping the desperate, paid in _silver_ to make gold that I can't even keep for myself," The man countered, making both of them smile. They sat in silence as the man finished spinning all the straw into gold. It didn't take as long as Alec thought it would, and soon he was surrounded by more gold than he thought he'd ever see in his life. The gold glittered so brightly Alec was afraid it would blind him. 

"I really can't thank you enough," Alec said to the warlock, who stood next to the spinning wheel, admiring his finished product.

"No, you can't," He agreed, grinning despite his words. "Goodbye, Alec."

"Wait-" Alec protested, but it was too late, and the warlock had vanished. Alec sighed and took a seat at the wheel, waiting for the sun to creep over the horizon and for Lydia Branwell to return and tell him he could go home.

***

Lydia's face was brighter than Alec ever thought it could be as she took in the room full of gold.

"The Duke will be absolutely ecstatic. Alec, you have brought great pride to your family, and you will bring even greater pride to the realm tonight," Lydia told him, smiling. Alec froze. 

"Tonight?" Alec asked. He felt like there was a rock in his throat. 

"Of course! Now that you've proven yourself to me, you must do the same for the Duke tonight," Lydia explained, and Alec felt his heart sink into his stomach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> Leave comments if you would be so kind, they make me happy.  
>   
> Again, thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed!


	2. Chapter 2

Alec was in an even bigger room this time. He couldn't see the ceiling except for right above him because the entire room was filled with straw. After his "success" in the first room, Lydia Branwell insisted he do the same in another, larger room. This time, for the Duke himself.

Alec felt himself beginning to hyperventilate again. He wanted to go _home_. He didn't know how to spin straw into gold, and, if he didn't succeed, he'd be killed and his family would be disgraced. If Alec didn't succeed, his family might even be killed. To make matters worse, Alec was completely alone. There was no sign of the warlock from the previous night, and Alec knew he could never count on the help of a magic user. His breathing got even more ragged and he felt tears stinging his eyes.

"Now, don't cry," Said a voice behind Alec. He turned, coming face to face with the warlock. His shoulders sagged in relief.

"Thank God you're here. The Imperials want me to spin more straw into gold," Alec said, voice a little too shaky for comfort.

"And?" The man asked. Alec swallowed.

"And, I was hoping you'd help me again?" Alec asked. It seemed only logical. After all, the warlock had appeared out of nowhere, maybe he wanted to help Alec?

"Do you have _anything_ to pay me with?" The warlock asked as if he already knew the answer. Alec looked down at his hands.

"If you do this, it'll bring great status to my family. I'll be able to pay you then," Alec promised, but the man just laughed.

"The first thing I learned as a magic user was to get paid upfront, or not do the job. Are you _sure_ there isn't anything you can give me?" Alec thought for a second. His family didn't have anything of any particular value. They had some useful items, but surely nothing the warlock would find worthwhile. Still, he had to try, no matter how much he didn't want to give his possessions up.

"I have a bow and arrows, at home," Alec said. "It's not much, but they're my most prized possession." The warlock just looked at him before sighing.

"I'm flattered that you'd give that up, truly. But, I have no need for a bow and arrows, and I don't want to take something that important from you," The warlock said. Alec felt his heart sink.

"Then I have nothing to give you," Alec said in resignation. The warlock took a step towards him, so they were barely a foot apart.

"That's not completely true."

"It's not?" Alec asked in confusion. The warlock looked up at him and smirked.

"How about a kiss?" He suggested. Alec stared at him.

"What?" He said, eyes wide. The warlock dropped his smile in favor of a more serious expression.

"If it makes you uncomfortable, I'll take your arrows. But I'm sure a kiss would cost you less."

"You want to kiss me?" Alec said in surprise. The warlock had the audacity to blush a little bit.

"I think it could be... enjoyable. But, like I said, if you'd rather not, I'll take your arrows instead." The warlock swayed a little bit on his feet. Alec couldn't help the tiny voice in the back of his head whispering that kissing the warlock would probably be enjoyable for him, too. He nodded.

"I'll do it," He said resolutely. The warlock looked at him.

"You'll what?"

"I'll kiss you," Alec said, and the warlock smiled. Alec could feel his heart pounding in his ears. He couldn't believe he'd agreed to that. The warlock stepped even closer, so that mere inches stood between them.

"Then kiss me," He said softly, and Alec didn't hesitate. He leaned forward, closing the gap between their lips. The warlock's mouth was surprisingly warm- Alec had always thought magic users would run a bit cold- and his lips were soft. Alec couldn't stop himself from moaning a little into the kiss. One of the warlock's hands snaked up into his hair, the other placed on his chest. Alec let his own hands come up to the sides of the warlock's face, pressing ever so lightly. The kiss was enjoyable indeed. The warlock was the first to pull back, smiling and panting lightly. Alec felt a red burn across his cheeks.

"That'll do," He said playfully, taking a seat at the spinning wheel. Alec, unsure of what to do, sat on the ground next to the spinning wheel and watched as the warlock spun the entire room of straw into piles of gold.

He felt a little bolder than he had the night before, and he asked the warlock many questions about magic. He asked if it hurt to use magic, if it was difficult to learn, how many magic users there were, and more. The warlock answered all of his questions patiently, asking Alec about his life as well. Alec told him all about his family, about his sister and his brothers, about his father and his mother, and the reason he was in this mess. When the warlock asked him if he had any lovers, Alec simply blushed and told him he didn't.

There was something sad about the way the warlock talked about his own life. If Alec had to guess, he was lonely. He supposed that was why the warlock had asked him to pay with a kiss. He spoke as if his family had been gone for a long time. The warlock spoke fondly about other magic users, however, and Alec could surmise that the magical community, though small, was close. Alec found himself genuinely enthralled in the warlock's company, he was sure the other magic users loved spending time with him as well.

Alec wondered what his life would be like if he was a magic user. His parents would have abandoned him. Or, at least his father would have. Alec felt he probably wouldn't be the best at using magic. He got the feeling that the warlock sitting next to him was actually very talented, even among magic users. Alec wondered more and more about the warlock's personal life. He found himself imagining what the warlock's house looked like, what he did for work every day, who he talked to.

When Alec dared to ask such personal questions, the warlock answered. Sometimes in more general terms, but he responded to Alec nonetheless.

"Would you give up magic?" Alec asked suddenly. The warlock stopped spinning for a second.

"Probably not. It's isolated me, yes. Normal people don't want me around. Many of them would kill me if they got the chance. But they couldn't if they tried. My magic has given me power, and protection. It keeps me from ever being helpless," The warlock explained.

"You wouldn't give it up even to live with everybody else?" Alec asked in fascination. Warlocks were almost completely alone in life. Most people would never associate themselves with a magic user. The only reason Alec was was because he needed to. To live a life surrounded by such hatred... Alec couldn't imagine living like that.

"What's so great about everybody else?" The warlock asked quietly, beginning to spin again. Alec didn't ask any more questions after that.

Before he knew it, the sun was rising and all of the straw was gold. The warlock stood and dusted his hands, glancing around the room and admiring his work. Alec stood as well, unsure of what to do. A part of him felt like he should shake the warlock's hand, but after the kiss they'd shared, it felt a little aloof.

"Thank you," Alec said. The warlock grinned.

"Anytime. Although, for your sake, I hope we stop meeting like this." Alec brought his hands together nervously. He hoped so, too. He was sick of being locked up by the Imperial Regime. He was tired of panicking every time they asked him to spin straw into gold. 

"I-If they ask me again, to spin straw into gold, will you come?" Alec asked, not looking the warlock in the eye.

"Maybe," The warlock teased. "Maybe not. Depends if you pay me." Alec stared at his feet, blushing for what felt like the tenth time that night.

"Hey, what's your name?" Alec asked, but when he looked up, the warlock was gone.

***

When Lydia Branwell came to check on his progress, Alec was ready. He was standing by the door, hands clasped behind him, waiting to show Lydia the gold, and then leave to go home. Upon entering the room, Lydia gasped.

"This is amazing, Alec, well done," She said and Alec almost believed she was proud of him. "The Duke will be so pleased."

"Great, can I go home?" Alec asked shortly. He was done playing this game. Lydia winced a little bit.

"Almost, Alec. You've done very well these past two nights. But, now that the Duke can verify your skills, he'll want you to do so again." Alec's face fell.

"Again?"

"Once more, Alec, I promise. The Duke and I understand that you cannot spend your life spinning straw into gold, but, after how your parents behaved, you have an obligation to the Duke. One more room of straw, and you'll be free to go home, Alec, I swear," Lydia said, looking genuinely pained to tell him the news. Alec closed his eyes in frustration. It would never be enough. The Imperial Regime was notorious for their greed, and Alec was sure all the straw in the world wouldn't be enough to satisfy the Duke. Still, his family was potentially in danger, he didn't have any other options.

"Fine," He gritted out. "One more night."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, who knows when I'll update, but I will. 
> 
> Thank you for reading! Please take the time to kudos/leave a comment. I love comments. They warm my soul.


	3. Chapter 3

"Really, again?" The warlock asked. Alec didn't have to wait long at all the third night before the warlock showed up, much to his relief. The warlock seemed completely exasperated

"I know, but they swore this was the last time," Alec tried to placate him, though the warlock didn't seem truly upset. He just hummed in response.

"I doubt your assets have increased at all since the last time you had to pay me?" The warlock asked and Alec shook his head in agreement, blushing slightly. He stepped a little closer to the warlock.

"We could... kiss again?" He asked nervously. He told himself that the only reason he suggested that was because it was cheap and he'd already done it. It wasn't like he _wanted_ to kiss a magic user. But he already had, so it wouldn't be anything new, and he wouldn't have to tell anyone. Alec worried then, what the warlock thought of his suggestion. What if he thought Alec was weird? Or what if he didn't want to kiss Alec? But, he had suggested it the night before, so it probably wasn't that. To his relief, the warlock laughed, pulling Alec out of his spiral.

"That eager, are we? Hm, I'm tempted to take you up on that. But, seeing as this is my third time doing this, I'm afraid the price is going to have to be a little steeper," The warlock said. Alec swallowed.

"What, uh, what do you mean by steeper?" He asked, unsure about going any further. The warlock smiled a little bit, which should've been disquieting, but it oddly reassured Alec. 

"Guarantee me a favor, for me to ask at any time, that you will do."

"What favor?"

"I don't know yet. Don't worry, it won't be anything too bad, I'm not evil, despite popular belief. But I need your word, Alexander," The warlock said. Alec weighed his options. So far the warlock had been exceedingly generous with him. He hadn't asked anything outrageous at all. He didn't even need to show up to help Alec, yet he did. Alec was also pretty sure the warlock's intentions weren't malicious. Not the way he'd been told magic users were. And, if he didn't agree to the deal with the warlock, the Duke would probably execute him and hurt his family. 

"Okay," Alec agreed. "Any favor, any time. I'll do it." 

The warlock smiled, then sat at the spinning wheel and began to spin all the straw into gold. Much like the night before, they spoke. More about Alec's family than anything, but Alec also learned more about the warlock's own life. He'd apparently been around for several more decades than his appearance would suggest, and he had a great many thoughts on the culture of the time. Alec found himself completely enamored with the conversation. The warlock knew a great deal more about the world than Alec expected he himself ever would, and he spoke about it in a way that seemed to light up the entire room.

Before Alec knew it, the warlock was done spinning all the straw into gold. There had probably been more straw in the third room than in the first two combined, but the warlock seemed to finish it faster than before. Magic, Alec supposed, was something he would never understand. 

The warlock stood up from the wheel and admired the shiny pile of gold in front of him. Then he turned to Alec and looked him up and down.

"Do you know when you'll have a favor to call in?" Alec asked out of curiosity. The warlock bit the inside of his cheek slowly.

"Actually," He began. "I may already have a favor for you."

"Oh?" Alec asked, intrigued.

"Yes. Please don't... Just, wait for a second before you make any judgments," The warlock said, and Alec suddenly felt a little nervous. "Will you, Alexander, will you marry me?" The warlock finally asked and Alec just stood there, mouth agape.

"Marry you? I hardly know you," Alec pointed out, shocked by the suggestion. 

"You probably know me better than you would a girl your parents arranged a marriage with," The warlock reasoned, and Alec had to agree that that was likely. Still, he couldn't marry a magic user. He couldn't live that life. He wasn't even sure how he felt about the warlock.

"Still, you're asking me to sign over my life. That's not a favor, that-that's too much," Alec furthered. The warlock frowned.

"You wouldn't be unhappy, Alexander, that I can assure you. You could have everything you ever wanted, I could give it to you with magic. It's not like I'd keep you away from your family. We could be happy," The warlock insisted. Alec decided to switch tactics.

"Why would you even want to marry me?" He asked, genuinely baffled by the proposal. The warlock seemed a little taken aback.

"Well, because, I," The warlock stuttered, then seemed to gather his resolve. "You are the only person I have been genuinely attracted to in decades. You're kind, and you're strong. You're easy to talk to and the way you care about your family is incredibly admirable. We get along, Alexander," The warlock said and Alec was left speechless. After a moment, the warlock continued, softer.

"Alec, you don't know what it's like to be lonely. I do. And it's hard _not_ to be lonely when you have magic. Please, this might be my last chance," The warlock said, but Alec just shook his head, avoiding eye contact. 

__

"I'm sorry, I can't," Alec said, then quietly. "Please don't make me." The warlock looked at him softly, shoulders dropping and eyes warm like fire.

"Alexander, I would never make you. But please, reconsider," He implored, but Alec stared at the ground, unable to explain why he couldn't. The warlock sighed.

"Any other favor, I promise," Alec said, though he regretted the promise almost immediately. The warlock stared at him for a long moment. Alec felt sorry, he did, but he didn't know the warlock. He didn't know him, and truth be told, Alec was afraid of what it would mean if he got married, he was afraid of getting that close to someone else. Especially someone that he _did not know_.

"I'll tell you what, Alexander, if you can guess my name within three days, I'll let you off the hook completely, no favor needed," The warlock bargained. 

"Really? Are you sure?" Alec was beginning to feel like he was cheating the warlock out of a significant amount of his payment.

"I'm sure. But if you can't, you marry me. Deal?" The warlock asked. Alec furrowed his brow.

"But you said-"

"Deal?" The warlock repeated. Alec sighed. How hard could it be? There were only so many names in the world. And it wasn't like Alec really had another option. Despite the warlock's assurance that he wouldn't force Alec into anything, he technically could. Alec had agreed to a deal with a magic user, that was binding. If the warlock didn't have another favor to ask of Alec, he'd almost certainly ask to marry him again. At least if he took the new deal, he had a chance to get out of the arrangement.

"Deal," Alec said, and shook the warlock's outstretched hand. Almost as soon as they made contact the warlock vanished, dissipating into thin air. Alec shivered. What was he getting himself into?

***

When Lydia Branwell returned in the morning, she brought Duke Aldertree with her.

"You have done your Duke a great service, Alec," Lydia Branwell told him, and the Duke smiled behind her, though the look didn't quite reach his eyes. Alec's face remained stony.

"I live to serve. Am I free to go now?" Alec said. Lydia opened her mouth as if to deliver some unfortunate news, but the Duke cut her off.

"Of course, Alec, you are free. Do your best to stay out of trouble," The Duke said, and Alec couldn't help but feel unsettled. He stepped past the Imperials and let himself be led out of the castle by a guard. 

Now, if he could just guess the warlock's name, he'd be truly free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, an update.  
> If you're feeling generous, please leave some kudos or comments. ESPECIALLY comments, they really make my day and motivate me to write.  
> Thank you so much for reading!!


	4. Chapter 4

"Robert, Benjamin, Jacob, Henry, Edward, James, William, Warner, Gwaine..." Alec listed off slowly. At every name, the warlock shook his head. Alec had said every name he could think of, but apparently none of them belonged to the warlock.

"Can you think of anymore?" The warlock asked, a hint of a smirk on his face. Alec admitted that he couldn't. It was only the first day, he was sure he'd be able to find the warlock's name. Sure, perhaps his name was unusual, but that didn't mean it was impossible to guess.

They were sitting in the foyer of Alec's home. After his three days of "spinning straw into gold", Alec's family had been ecstatic to see him home. His parents had even apologized for their behavior, something that Alec had not been expecting. He was mostly just glad to be with his siblings again. When they asked just how he'd managed to spin all the straw into gold, he'd simply smiled and told them that that was a trade secret. They didn't press the matter.

As soon as Alec's family had left the house on a trip into the town, the warlock had arrived, allowing Alec a chance to guess his name. Now, though, Alec had probably spent about ten minutes futilely guessing names.

"How do I know I haven't guessed your name?" Alec asked obtusely. "What if you lie to me?"

"I'll tell you what my name is if you don't guess it," The warlock assured him. Alec rolled his eyes.

"Great lot of help that'll be," He retorted. 

"My job is not to help you," The warlock reminded him, smiling. Alec grinned despite himself. He thoroughly enjoyed the warlock's company. It was even better now that they weren't cramped in a room full of straw. Without the anxiety induced by those circumstances, Alec was able to fully appreciate the warlock.

He wondered, quietly to himself, what being married to the warlock would actually be like. He thought about waking up in a cozy little cottage and eating breakfast every morning. He imagined reading books on a comfortable couch and learning more about magic. His family would visit for tea or on holidays. Izzy would like the warlock, Alec was sure.

Then Alec thought about how the warlock might only be pretending to be kind. Magic users were notorious manipulators. Perhaps the warlock was really cruel and he was just trying to use Alec. Perhaps he'd never let him see his family again and he'd keep him locked in a room all day. Alec didn't really believe that, but he also didn't know the warlock enough to dissuade his fears. Alec physically shook himself to push away his thoughts.

"If you can't think of any more names, I'll be on my way, Alexander," The warlock said, standing from the chair he was sitting in. Alec stood to show him out of the house.

"I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Until then," The warlock nodded, and then he was gone, just as quickly as he'd come. Alec stood still for a moment, breathing in slowly. After a long moment of processing the situation he was in, he decided to go outside. It'd been days since he'd shot an arrow and he'd been itching to get to the range. 

Arrow after arrow went straight to the center of the target. Time passed, though Alec wasn't sure how long he'd been shooting for. It was dark when someone finally interrupted him.

"Alec?" Said a female voice behind him. He turned, to see Lydia Branwell. He didn't dignify her presence with a response. He didn't feel any guilt being cold towards her. She seemed to sense his distaste and continued on. "I'm here on business with the Duke. He's speaking to your family right now. He wondered if you might join them?" Lydia asked. At that Alec frowned. The Duke had no business here. He passed Lydia without a word and stormed into his house.

Duke Aldertree was standing in his foyer, laughing at something his parents had said. Alec's entire family was there, even his youngest brother Max.

"Alec," His mother said. "So nice of you to join us. We were just telling Duke Aldertree how much of an honor it was that you were able to serve him."

"Right," Alec said, still feeling disgruntled. He hoped the Duke wasn't there to ask him for more gold. He'd done what was asked of him and it wasn't fair for the Duke to ask any more of him. And, he knew he couldn't ask the warlock for any help.

"Yes, it was an honor for me, as well," The Duke insisted. "I just felt I had to meet the family that could produce children with such skill. Alec, your gifts are truly phenomenal. And no words could ever do justice in describing Isabelle's beauty." At that, the Duke reached for Izzy's hand and brought it to his lips. Isabelle blushed politely, though Alec could tell she did not welcome his advances.

"My lord-" Lydia Branwell began to interrupt, but the Duke continued on. 

"Anyway, now that all is well and I have seen that Alec is settling in, it is time for us to go, I'm afraid," The Duke said, managing to sound genuinely disappointed. All too quickly, the Imperials made their way out of Alec's house. He watched as they went, glaring at their backs.

His parents looked at him, their mouths thin lines, before they turned away and went to lurk in some dark corner of the house. He looked at Isabelle, perplexed, before speaking.

"What the Hell?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, and now I beg you for comments yet again.  
> I'm not quite sure where this fic is going.  
> Well, I am, but I'm not quite sure it makes sense. We'll see, I suppose XD.  
> Comment, Kudos, Bookmark, <3  
> Thank you for reading!


End file.
